The User Experience Team of One by Leah Buley

Discover how to thrive as a solo UX designer with "The User Experience Team of One" by Leah Buley. This invaluable guide is perfect for those navigating the design world alone, offering simple, practical techniques and comprehensive models applicable throughout product development. Master the art of being a 'one-player team'.

William MacKenzie
William MacKenzie
3 Min Read

Having a team of talented designers, who you can bounce ideas off of and rely on for feedback is a great opportunity, however, you might not always get that lucky to have teammates around. In fact working as a UX designer can get extremely difficult if you’re on your own. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible!

The book is largely focused on a team of one – a “one-player team“, so there is no information about the division of responsibilities or work in a team of designers. But there are many simple techniques that help at the initial stage not to hit the dirt with your face and quickly navigate the situation if you are the only person in a cross-functional team who understands something in design.

The book is built in such a way that it can be used throughout the entire cycle of creating a product or feature. Models and techniques for different levels of detail are described in simple and understandable language and contain examples or important phrases that make sense to remember and use.

Quotes from the book:

UX teams of one sometimes have to be diplomatic, informed and well meaning meddlers.

The path to clean, complete, well considered product is messy, messy, messy.

Many people make their way to user experience by crossing over from an adjacent field. These crossovers are the people who are carrying UX forward, taking it to new levels and new organizations.

Users almost always prefer a simple product with fewer features executed extremely well over a feature-bloated product with a lot of capabilities that are executed only marginally well.

Design is the act of creating new solutions under constrained circumstances, whether those constraints are aesthetic, technological, or resource-driven. That may sound like a restriction, but actually it’s a gift. Constraints, in the end, are a designer’s friend.

Good Products eventually become somewhat invisible, sinking into the background as users achieve a kind of flow where they are actively and fluidly doing whatever the product is supposed to make possible.

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Posted by William MacKenzie
William "Bill" MacKenzie, a seasoned UX Designer hailing from the vibrant city of Toronto, brings two decades of experience in the digital world to our team. With an impressive career that started in the early 2000s, he has honed his expertise in creating user-focused digital strategies. His multifaceted background spans roles in tech startups, digital agencies, and global corporations where he led teams to deliver intuitive and innovative digital solutions. Bill is passionate about humanizing digital experiences and continuously emphasizes the importance of empathy in design. A big fan of ice hockey, Bill loves to play in local leagues during his downtime.
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